LA PAZ, Bolivia (Reuters) - Evo Morales, a leftist former coca leaf farmer vowing to be a "nightmare for the U.S.," was poised to become Bolivia's first indigenous president on Sunday after likely clinching one of the biggest electoral victories in the country's history. Morales appeared certain to take office in January when his rivals conceded defeat and results tabulated by local media showed him garnering slightly more than 50 percent of the vote, much higher than predicted. "Beginning tomorrow Bolivia's new history really begins, a history where we will seek equality, justice, equity, peace and social justice," Morales told hundreds of supporters amid chants of "Evo President! Evo President!" at his campaign headquarters in the central city of Cochabamba. A high-school dropout who herded llamas as a boy, Morales has vowed to nationalize Bolivia's natural gas industry and roll back a U.S.-backed eradication program of coca, a key ingredient used to make cocaine but also prized by Indians for traditional medicinal uses. Washington considers Morales an enemy in its anti-drug fight in Bolivia, the third biggest cocaine producer after Colombia and Peru. His critics fear a Morales government could jeopardize the country's flow of multi-million dollar economic aid from Washington.
Morales appeared certain to take office in January when his rivals conceded defeat and results tabulated by local media showed him garnering slightly more than 50 percent of the vote, much higher than predicted.
"Beginning tomorrow Bolivia's new history really begins, a history where we will seek equality, justice, equity, peace and social justice," Morales told hundreds of supporters amid chants of "Evo President! Evo President!" at his campaign headquarters in the central city of Cochabamba.
A high-school dropout who herded llamas as a boy, Morales has vowed to nationalize Bolivia's natural gas industry and roll back a U.S.-backed eradication program of coca, a key ingredient used to make cocaine but also prized by Indians for traditional medicinal uses.
Washington considers Morales an enemy in its anti-drug fight in Bolivia, the third biggest cocaine producer after Colombia and Peru. His critics fear a Morales government could jeopardize the country's flow of multi-million dollar economic aid from Washington.
COCHABAMBA, Bolivia (AP) - Evo Morales, the socialist coca farmer who would be Bolivia's first Indian president, appeared poised to join the ranks of like-minded leaders who have pushed Latin America's democracies to the left in recent years. With exit polls running strongly in his favor, Morales took an early congratulatory phone call from Venezuela's belligerently anti-American president Hugo Chavez. At a party at Morales' home in Cochabamba, his supporters toasted as the candidate announced that Chavez planned to contact Cuba's Fidel Castro. Said Morales of Chavez: ``He's going to tell Fidel the good news'' - eliciting laughs from those nearby. Morales has promised to be ``Washington's nightmare,'' indicating he would exercise more state control over South America's second-largest natural gas reserves and bring an end to U.S.-backed coca eradication efforts. A Morales presidency in Bolivia would signal further movement to the political left among Latin America's democracies. The political shift has brought leaders ranging from Chavez in Venezuela to the moderate center-left presidents of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.
With exit polls running strongly in his favor, Morales took an early congratulatory phone call from Venezuela's belligerently anti-American president Hugo Chavez.
At a party at Morales' home in Cochabamba, his supporters toasted as the candidate announced that Chavez planned to contact Cuba's Fidel Castro.
Said Morales of Chavez: ``He's going to tell Fidel the good news'' - eliciting laughs from those nearby.
Morales has promised to be ``Washington's nightmare,'' indicating he would exercise more state control over South America's second-largest natural gas reserves and bring an end to U.S.-backed coca eradication efforts.
A Morales presidency in Bolivia would signal further movement to the political left among Latin America's democracies. The political shift has brought leaders ranging from Chavez in Venezuela to the moderate center-left presidents of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.
